Texas BlogWire

March 20, 2010

Three months later... Health insurance reform imminent?

In the three months since my last post on this matter, the push for health care reform has gone through many ups and downs. But now it does really seem to be on the verge of a final vote. Time to push it over the top, for if it goes down, we won't have another chance for a very long time.

OMG this pisses me off so much. I don't bleeive these people. Do they think that latinos are so stupid to fall for this BS. If they had a commercial telling black people not to vote, I would seriously find the sponsors and punch them in the face. Maybe I should do that anyway for these Latinos for reform .

several Cal committee rmebems had an issue with it. They said they are not allowed to release who had an issue with it. I think they need to release that info, you should not have legislators hiding their votes or positions like this. I suspect Coleman may be one but could not get them to confirm or deny.

Thanks, Dan, for making it paesonrl to your family. I do believe that narratives about real people are most effective in helping the public understand public policy and the effects of policy change. My two sons are in college and I had already been afraid of what they would do if they didn't get a job with benefits. I have preexisting conditions which would preclude me from getting insurance on my own. I have always said that were it not for my husband's job as an academic at a state college,our family's trajectory would have been very different. Some people have not been so lucky.When middle class people who have health insurance finally grasp what's in it for me and my family they will see that this is not another poor people's entitlement . Unfortunately a lot of people don't see life in terms of the common good and don't link how supporting what is good for the greater good will benefit them as well. Your link about how health care will free people with regards to employment opportunities is most apt. When workers begin to see how many more employment and educational opportunities are available to them when they are not tied to one job or locked into one profession, they will ultimately be living the American Dream! Can't imagine any Republican taking issue with individual freedom and the free market!

Just listened to Terry Gross's irnetview (today) with the director of the Southern Poverty Law Center's Intelligence Project, which tracks hate groups. A new report is available on line: Rage on the Right: A Year of Rage. . . (couldn't get the whole title)which states a huge uptake in militia activity and acts of violence in the last year, coinciding with the election of Obama. Quite eye-opening about what is happening out there across the country. Also mentioned was a Harris poll out this week which tracks the beliefs of Republicans and shows them to be almost identitical to those of the TeaParty. A new Quinnipiac (sp)poll this week shows that 70% of Tea Partiers identify themselves as Republican. It is curious to me that the Tea Party, after holding their first convention and having a calvacade of extremists like Tom Tancreo, speak can still can be viewed by some in the media and many voters as just a benign quirky group who doesn't want to pay taxes. They are shilling for the Republican party and vice versa, while each claims to be independent. And they both will continue to be bystanders while these violent acts occurred as long as they can disavow any involvement.

And become a aotinn of socialist dwarfism enablers? Never!That is to say, the reaction of the lunatic right to this legislation is truly disturbing. And I don't think the Democrats have done enough to bring the message to the people. I'm actually encountering people who will benefit from this bill citing this as a good example of why it's a good thing we got Scott Brown in there, to stop this kind of totalitarian, big government taking over our lives thing.And the MSM isn't doing anything. The coverage is all about the venom and the anger and the distrust, not the facts.

Very moving airlcte Dan. I am curious though. Maybe it's just the skeptic in me, but what do you think will happen with premiums? How much will they be (for you or just in general) since the law allows people with pre-existing illnesses and/or who don't meet wellness standards to be charged more? I fear this could be one of those unintended consequences of this bill. If so, I hope they change that fast. But still, this is a landmark piece of legislation.

Steve wow, that's pretty bad. I guess what WBZ was tinyrg to say was that SB got off the fence and decided to support repeal.And now that he's done that, SOMEONE needs to present him a list of things that are in this legislation, and ask him which ones he thinks are bad and need to go. And WHY.And John Kerry needs to publicly address those same questions to him.